


Cold When He's Gone

by AsheTarasovich (natalieashe), Boffin1710, natalieashe



Series: Can't Drown My Demons, They Know How To Swim [14]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 08:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7041382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/AsheTarasovich, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/pseuds/Boffin1710, https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/natalieashe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec has been home a week and is yet to see Q sleep longer than a catnap.  James is still gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold When He's Gone

Alec pushes the flat door open and reels when the wall of heat rolls out to greet him. "What the fuck?" Thermostat must be broken, but when he stabs at it, it obediently reduces from a baking 25 degrees to a more bearable 18.

"Q?" No response to his hollered greeting, but Q's messenger bag is on the sofa, his shoes carelessly kicked off on the rug. Alec returns them to their appropriate place. He is not a neat freak, but it makes James growl if things are simply dumped.

No Q in the lounge or the kitchen. Not in the downstairs bedrooms or bathroom, and the garden door is still locked. Alec peers out of the window anyway, through the dark dreary drizzle. A bit of rain wouldn't stop a determined Quartermaster, but the garden sofas are empty.

Alec mounts the stairs, pulling off his suit jacket and tie as he goes. Leans in the doorway of the bedroom observing the Q shaped lump in the centre of their super-King bed. Even with quilted padding he seems small with empty space either side.

"Alright, Q?" Alec strips off the rest of his clothes. Hangs his suit, dumps his laundry, all with no response from the Q-lump. A dark tuft of hair peeks over the duvet parapet. "Like an oven in here. Want the window open?"

A grunt that sounds like "cold" is uttered. Alec draws closer, tugs at the duvet. Q has tucked it tightly around himself, lying on it. There is a small tussle, Alec pulling it free, Q keening softly as his insulation is disturbed. "Maybe sick."

Alec slides into bed beside Q. Sick is not good. Sick brings complications. He checks the bedside table, notes the bottle of water half empty, the capped syringe. "How long?" He pulls Q closer, the young man grumbling half-heartedly at Alec's cool skin.

"Off all day."

Alec presses his lips to Q's forehead like his grandmother did when he was a child back in the cold days of his childhood. Q's brow is dry and warm, not feverish. Relief makes Alec hug Q tighter.

"Too little sleep" Alec chides. "Get some now. James will be home soon. Couple of days at most."

Q sighs deeply and burrows closer, glad of the strong arm around his shoulders. Missing the warm body that should be on the other side of him.

Alec and James know what it's like to be the one left waiting at home. They don't think about it too much. Wasted effort. But Q is the one who sees all, hears all, reads all, even when he is not directly involved. It's not worry as such. Q is far too pragmatic for that. But it's one of the many strands that tangles around him as he tosses and turns, wakeful from too loud thoughts.

"Too bloody long" Q sighs.

When the bedroom door swings open some hours later Q is finally sleeping. Alec doesn't move, fearful of breaking the fragile spell that has kept Q's eyes closed for more than an hour, but he smiles in the dim light as the bed dips behind Q.

"About bloody time" Alec murmurs to James gently transferring the sleeping young man to James' embrace. "Somebody has missed you."

James kisses Q's head, now pillowed on his shoulder. "Not you, I'm guessing" he smirks.

Alec settles more comfortably at Q's back and reaches across him to lay a hand on James' stomach. "Course not, wanker."


End file.
